Pintia 2020

Pintia is to Toro, what Vega Sicilia is to the Ribera del Duero. Both wineries concentrate all their efforts on what is undeniably their obsession: perfection. Pintia was one of the first reds to prove the subtlety and elegance which the Tinta de Toro variety is capable of when it's well understood and handled with great care and respect. Pintia marks a before and after in wines of the Toro denomination and has raised quality standards to levels hitherto unimagined. Powerful reds abound in Toro, as well as some very elegant ones, but there are exceedingly few that combine powerfulness and elegance in such a dignified way as Pintia manages to do. The grapes, hand-picked and selected in the vineyard, undergo a double selection process in the winery and are refrigerated to preserve their fruit intensity; they ferment in stainless steel and oak, and then rest for about a year in predominantly French oak. The ensuing wine is profound and intense, with a mesmerizing Picota cherry colour and a clean and distinctive nose dominated by the aromas of ripe fruit (blackberries and blueberries), refined oak, spices and balsamic hints. On the palate it's full and long, perfumed and rustic, tannic and most pleasant too. It shuns strong alcohol aromas and any over-ripeness, thanks to pinpoint acidity. Its finish, replete with vanilla and blue flowers, culminates in an ever-lasting aftertaste that's resoundingly warm.